BENEDICT, BAGOBO CEREMONIAL, MAGIC AND MYTH 7 



the same time; since the steep grade, as well as the thick jungle, 

 made progress by horse as slow as that of the pedestrian. At that 

 time, a very primitive culture flourished in those isolated villages 

 of Tallin, a culture which, in large part, has now passed away. 

 It was but a few months after my visit there that the entire group 

 composing the village of Mati moved down to the coast. 



Much of the folklore and mythical material was recorded at 

 Santa Cruz, a village to which the Bagobo resorted in great num- 

 bers, coming from long distances to exchange their hemp for dried 

 fish and rice and salt, and to enter their cocks at the little pit. 

 There, in the small nipa hut that I occupied, were gathered, day 

 by day, Bagobo men and women and young people in considerable 

 numbers, representing a large part of the rancherias 5 of mountain 

 and coast where Bagobo settlements existed. Some came occasionally ; 

 others, every two or three days. The method of securing material 

 which seemed to work most satisfactorily was to reduce questioning 

 by a set schedule to a minimum, and, following out the most 

 promising lead that presented itself at the moment, to let any 

 Bagobo talk on whatever subject pleased him. As a result, im- 

 material is scanty in some directions; in others, very abundant, 

 but there is a compensating advantage for such lack of balance in 

 view of the spontaneity with which the information was given me, 

 in the pleasant intimacy of frequent intercourse during my stay 

 of fourteen months. 



The collection of Bagobo stories recently published in the Journal 

 of American Folk-lore G form properly a part of the plan of this 

 discussion, if the mythology, the ceremonial behavior and the folk- 

 tales are to be examined as a unit. 



The ceremonial texts were repeated to me either by the same 

 men who had sung or said them, or by other Bagobo who had 

 heard them often; the recitations were recorded by me, in Bagobo, 

 directly from their lips and have been translated as nearly as 

 possible word for word. The prayers at the shrines and the inter- 

 views with the anito were given me at the conclusion of the 

 respective devotions or the morning after a night seance, by Islao, 

 grandson of Pandia, the mantaman ' of Bansalan in Talun, and the 



B A name given by the Spaniards to the little hamlets of the pagan peoples. 

 8 Vol. 26, pp. 13—63. Jan.— Mar., 1913. 

 7 The assistant datu to a head datu. 



